by Jeffrey Sammerson

Created on: September 17, 2007   Last Updated: April 28, 2010

Was the NFL Right to penalize the patriots? Is it ever right to cheat in any game? Are the casinos in Vegas right to throw out card counters? The answer to all three questions is of course they are right. It really shouldn't even be a question. Coach Belichick is too good of a coach to do something stupid like this. He deserves everything that they do to him, if not more.

If you were a coach playing against the patriots, how would you feel, knowing that every time you call in a play on defense, Tom Brady knows exactly what is coming. And Brady is no slouch. He can beat you without knowing your plays, let alone when he knows what's coming at him.

I actually feel that they got off easy. Only five hundred thousand out of Belichick's pocket, two hundred and fifty thousand out of Bob Krafts pocket, and a first round draft choice. It may sound rough to us, but they have two first round choices this coming year from a trade with San Francisco. Also, five hundred thousand dollars is only one tenth of Belichick's salary. He can probably find that much in his couch cushions.

The commissioner has to make sure that all thirty two teams are playing under the same rules. Under any circumstances. I thought that they should have taken both of their first round choices, but teams are built around first rounders, so I guess it is OK. So, he is lucky that I was not deciding the penalty, because this is a serious matter as far as I am concerned. Maybe they should have been given a loss for the game against the Jets. It really calls into question the super bowls that New England won; were they legit?  The integrity of the organization as a whole is in question.

Every time a coach lines up against New England, you know that that is going to be on his mind. I know it would be on my mind. Belichick better hope that he gave Goodell all of the information that he has or the penalty will be worse. Where does an organization go from here? I guess we'll find out.

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